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Maren's list of environmental, cultural, and social justice events in and around Pittsburgh.

May 21: Fragrance-free Day in Market Square

I (Maren) have spent quite a few theatre and concert outings breathing through a bandana, or when I don't have a loose piece of cloth, my own braid. I don't have asthma, but am very sensitive to most fragrances -- so I appreciate the attention being paid this month to the issue, both for the health of the user and that of nearby breathers. In recognition of Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, Women for a Healthy Environment is hosting the second annual Fragrance-free Day in Downtown Pittsburgh!

"Fragrance"...It's listed on hundreds, likely thousands of consumer and personal care products. Ever wonder what that mystery ingredient really is? Visit WHE in Market Square on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm to learn more, receive fragrance-free giveaway items, take the "Don't Spray for a Day" pledge, and enjoy live music provided by singer-songwriter Joy Ike. Featuring doTERRA Essential Oils and Third Day Luxury Soaps, guests will have the opportunity to learn more about essential oils, including how they are incorporated into natural product development. You will also have the opportunity to purchase personal care product items!

Who is Maren?

Maren Cooke is a planetary scientist by training, but now concentrates on environmental education and activism on climate, air quality, land use, energy, and sustainability. She serves on the board of GASP, and works closely with other organizations including 350 Pgh, CCL, Climate Reality Leadership Corps, Pittsburghers Against Single-Use Plastic, Sierra Club, Grow Pgh, Transition Pgh, the Green Education Movement, CMU’s Institute for Green Science, and the City of Pittsburgh. She volunteers as an Urban Ecosteward, a Tree Tender, and a Master Gardener, and co-founded a nature education program and a school garden at a local K-8. She has helped create science curricula and train teachers, and has taught physics, astronomy, environmental science, and permaculture to people of all ages. She operates an urban microfarm, supplying organic produce to a local restaurant and a food pantry and garden plants to the surrounding community, and has been rebuilding her family’s home as a demonstration site for green building and green living. Maren also organizes and hosts Sustainability Salons, a monthly environmental education forum and community gathering now eight years running.